Ambassador of France to South Africa to bestow the Legion of Honour on Dr Mamphela Ramphele

On 28 February 2012 the Embassy of France in South Africa will host a reception at the Residence of France in Cape Town where the work of one of South Africa’s most inspirational struggle icons, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, will be celebrated. On this occasion, the French Ambassador to Sout Africa, Jacques Lapouge, will be bestowing the medal of Officer in the order of the Legion of Honour on Dr Ramphele.

The National Order of the Legion of Honour, created by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest French distinction. It is a strong symbol of the spirit of the French Revolution which aimed to replace the privilege of birth with recognition of merit.

The Legion of Honour is awarded to men and women in France and throughout the world, for their courage and action in favour of the ideals of the French nation and its universal values.

The President of the French Republic decided to appoint Dr Ramphele an officer in the Order of the Legion of Honour due to her commitment to freedom and justice, for equality and goodwill among South Africans.